Improvisation
by spwarkle
Summary: "Of all the auditions in the world, every part I could have tried out for, my best friend just had to sign me up for the one that involved playing my ex boyfriend's love interest, didn't she?" Naitlyn!


**Okay, so I realised it's been over two weeks since I posted a oneshot and since I can't do any 'strenuous exercise' or eat - because I've just had two teeth taken out - I'm finally sitting down to write out the idea that's been circling my head for weeks.**

"Cait, wait up!" I spun around on hearing my voice to find Mitchie racing toward me. She had evidently been running quite some distance – she was out of breath and red faced – but she also looked to be very excited by the slip of paper in her hand. I waited patiently for her to wind her way though the close packed crowds and stumble to a halt in front of me, grinning wildly.

"You will never guess what!" She almost yelled, doubling over to press her hand to a stitch.

"What?" I rolled my eyes at her pointless question; she was going to tell me anyway.

"Well remember that audition you did, months ago, for the part in the show about an aspiring band?"

I thought back. The audition for that very part had slipped into a knot of auditions in the back of my mind. I struggled to extract it and finally remembered the easy audition part.

"I remember. Why?"

"You got a call back!"

My jaw dropped. In the four years I had been trying out for small roles in films and television shows, I had never made it past the initial auditions. It didn't bother me, acting was just a hobby that I kept up with Mitchie around work, but I couldn't help but be excited by this news.

"I got a call back? As in a proper call back?"

"Yes! But the thing is, it's in half an hour and I only just got the letter. The couple down the hall from our apartment found it when they got back from their holiday."

"Half an hour?" I almost choked on the information. "But I haven't had time to rehearse a script or anything! I can't go to an audition without practicing, you know me!"

"Caitlyn, relax! I read the letter for you and you don't have to do anything in advance. You just have to turn up and they're going to see how well you can improvise with another character."

I groaned. "Improvisation? I'm rubbish at improvising!"

"I know Cait, I know. But you have got to get going, it's right the way across town and you'll miss it if you don't go now!" Mitchie handed me the letter, two pieces of white paper stapled together, and I grinned nervously before catching sight of the bus that I was going to need to catch.

"Thanks Mitch, I'll see you later."

I was the last person onto the bus, slipping on just before the doors closed and flashing my bus pass at the driver. He waved me on and I clambered up the stairs, claiming the front seat as my own. A waving arm in the crowds below caught my attention and I grinned at my friend as the vehicle began to move.

For the twenty minute journey, I sat in silence, reading and rereading the letter in the vain hope of finding some clue as to what I would be required to do.

It was a standard letter, boring, to the point, outlining what the audition would include and instructing me where and when to attend. Nothing in the information explained who I would be auditioning with or what sort of scene I would be acting in. All I knew as I stumbled off of the bus and onto the street was that in less than ten minutes I was going to be auditioning with a complete stranger who I had never met before, a stranger who I could possibly end up working with every day for at least the next four months.

There were no clues as to who the so called 'mystery celebrity' would be as I entered the building, no screaming fan girls or familiar body guards. I had nothing to go one, nothing to do but prepare myself to be shocked, promise myself not to scream or jump like a crazed fan. This was a professional audition, just because I was going to be working with somebody who had already made their name didn't man I was going to make a big thing about it.

Following the instructions printed on the letter, I took the stairs to the second floor and asked the friendly receptionist where to go from there. She showed me through to a small room with a wide window overlooking the city. I settled onto one of the padded chairs, leaning back into the cream fabric and closing my eyes for a few moments to gather my thoughts.

Just half an hour ago I had been walking down the street with every intention of doing nothing for the remainder of the day. I had been planning to buy a cup of coffee from the first coffee shop I found and then head back to the apartment I shared with my long-time best friend. Mitchie had been planning on joining me so that we could waste away our Saturday watching romantic movies and eating popcorn. But here I was, ready and waiting to audition with a – preferably male – celebrity.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by a loud bang and I jerked back to reality to find a somewhat familiar woman crossing toward me. I could vaguely remember her from the auditions all those months ago, how her piercing glare and caused my stomach to do back flips in terror.

"Miss Gellar?" I nodded. "Of course, I remember you. Quite the natural little actress, aren't you?" A small smile crept onto my face as the woman gestured into the room she had just come from. I stood to follow her into a dark corridor. "Now I take it you've read your letter?"

"About that, I only got it half an hour ago; it was delivered to the wrong apartment and the couple only got home from their holiday this morning so I only got the letter when my flat mate came chasing after me to give it to me."

"No matter," The woman, I was having trouble remembering her name, said briskly. "As long as you've read it?"

"Yes, I have."

"I suppose you want to know who you'll be auditioning with?" I nodded eagerly, not able to help my smile growing. "Before I introduce you, there are a few rules. You are the last girl here this morning so you won't be able to think of anything new. No screaming, fainting, asking for autographs or becoming hot and flustered and most certainly no kissing in the improvisation, okay?"

"Yup."

"In that case, a quick brief." She placed a hand on the door I had barely noticed and pushed it. "Your character is a wealthy young woman who is meeting a young man who is not so well off. This is your first meeting and you are incredibly attracted to this boy but you are careful not to show it as you check he is important enough for you." I nodded in understanding. "Your improvising begins as soon as you enter the room, using normal names. I'll stop you after five minutes." I bit my lip as I stepped inside, my heart thumping. Who was I about to meet? If they could cause all of the reactions I had just heard listed then they must be very famous or just very cute.

The room at first glance appeared empty. It had been set up to look like a modern kitchen; a white tiled floor, black and white counters and cupboards, a breakfast bar with spinning stools and a glass table complete with high backed black chairs. Only when I stepped slightly to the side did I see the all too familiar head of curls and feel my mouth drop.

"What are you doing here?"

The man snapped his head around and his shocked expression mirrored my own. Of all the auditions in the world, every part I could have tried out for, my best friend just had to sign me up for the one that involved playing my ex boyfriend's love interest, didn't she?

For a few seconds we were silent and I took the time to examine his face as he slowly stood up. In the four years since I had last seen him, he had barely changed at all. His face had matured, thinned out ever so slightly, and his eyes were an even darker brown that I remembered, but he was still the same boy I had known, he was still Nate Grey.

"Caity? Why are you here?"

I narrowed by eyes. "I asked you first."

"Your point?"

"My point is that I asked first so I should get the first answer."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why should you get the first answer? You had the first answer every other time, why don't I get a go at being first?"

"Because you've never had to question me before! I always had the first question and the first answer because you were the one that couldn't be trusted."

For a second I thought I saw hurt flashing in his eyes but he ruined it by speaking. "First the worst, second the best." He recited, smirking. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Really? How old are you now?"

"Twenty four, if you must know."

"It was a rhetorical question, _Nate._"

As soon as I said his name, something in his facial expression changed, shifted just the slightest, making him look all the more hostile.

"So you finally say my name." He leant back against the edge of the glass table top, his hands leaving marks on the once spotless material.

"Yeah, because I've had such a reason to say your name to your face in the last four years."

"Well you would have done, if you had given me five minutes."

"Again? Do you know _why _I didn't give you five minutes, Nate? Do you know?" He didn't respond. "I'll tell you, shall I? I didn't give you five minutes because you had already had sixty; I gave you so many chances over those three years, Nate, that five more minutes suddenly felt like a long time. It was five minutes to explain why you were out with that blonde and then it would have been five the next week to explain why you had been out all night."

I glared at Nate for a long moment, thrusting through all of the anger and hurt I had felt in the eight years since we had met, in the seven years since he had asked me out on that first date. I could tell he was receiving it all, every ounce of pain I had felt and every memory of every time he had hurt me, and I could tell that it hurt him just as much as it had hurt me. His eyes held shock and what even appeared to be regret.

"Caity…" His eyes filled with tears and I forced myself to tear away my gaze, to look down at my shoes.

Seconds later I felt gentle hands on my shoulders. I looked up just as a single tear rolled down my cheek and Nate's thumb wiped it away for me.

"I'm sorry Cait, I really am." His voice was muted, he was obviously dejected. "I know I was stupid and made a lot of mistakes, but I honestly never cheated on you. I never looked at any other girls the way I looked at you and I haven't since. That blonde girl you saw me on the news with? She was my cousin, Brown's daughter, Melanie. She lives with her Mum in Canada and I barely ever see her. I would have invited you with me but I didn't know she was coming until I bumped into her in the street. I'm sorry for not explaining what I was doing with her. I really am."

A few more tears trickled from my eyes as I met Nate's gaze. I knew I had been harsh on him when I had ended things but I had been stressed and angry, I had been too distracted to fully process what I was doing until it was too late; we were over.

"I-I'm sorry too," I whispered, my voice barely more than a whisper. Nate opened his mouth but I cut him off. "Don't interrupt, let me finish." I took a shaky breath and closed my eyes before I moved around Nate to sit on the chair he had been sitting on when I arrived. "I'm sorry for being so unreasonable, for not trusting you. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance to explain what you were doing with your cousin when you had been able to give me a perfectly reasonable excuse every other time there were rumours. Mostly, I'm sorry for ruining our relationship."

"Caity, it wasn't your fault." He was in front of me again, crouching on the floor.

"It wa-."

"Not all your fault," Nate corrected himself, wobbling slightly. I giggled ever so slightly and he placed a hand on my knee to steady himself. "It was both of us. I should have told you as soon as I noticed the cameras, rung you to explain, and you probably shouldn't have overreacted. But that's all in the past, we can't change it now. So how about we give _us _another go?"

I gasped slightly and Nate flinched, pulling back like I had rejected him, bu I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer.

"You really want to give me another chance?"

"Cait, I love you, I would give you a million chances."

"You-you love me? Still, after all this time?"

"I never stopped loving you, ever. You are my one and only love, Caitlyn Gellar. I will never be able to love anybody the way that I love you."

"Then yes." A wide smile cracked across my face. "Yes, I _will _give us another chance, because I love you too, I still do."

Nate smiled broadly and leaned toward me, heading straight for my mouth. Our lips hit and I felt everything else leave me. All of my senses were directed on Nate and the fact that after four years he was finally mine again. At that moment I wouldn't have noticed if the sky fell down onto our heads, all I was aware of was us.

Somewhere far away, in the world of normal people, I heard somebody clear their throat. At first I ignored it, blocking it out like the annoying buzz of a fly, but then I remembered that we weren't alone and pulled out of the kiss, spiralling rapidly to Earth.

Blushing like teenagers caught in action, Nate and I both turned to face the still unnamed woman. Nate wound his fingers in with mine as her stern gaze met our embarrassed ones.

"I don't think I have ever seen improvisation quite like that." I stifled a laugh. "But having said that, it was the best improvisation I have ever seen anybody perform. It was so believable!" The woman opened the door behind her and turned her head to smile slightly. "Welcome to the cast, Miss Gellar. I have to go, the two of you can finish getting… _acquainted _and I will see you both here in a months time."

She left quickly and Nate listened to her footsteps fading into the distance before he faced me.

"Congratulations."

"Me?"

"Do you see anyone else in the room?" He teased. I rolled my eyes. "I was congratulating you on the fact that you've made the part and get to spend four months working with me all day every day. It's an honour people would kill for, you know?"

"What, working with a big headed jerk? I don't think so."

Nate's mock look of horror almost broke me into laughter. "You're just jealous that people want me."

"I don't care if they _want _you, I _have _you."

"You do. I'm yours, forever. I promise."

**Aww, cheesy ending! Lol, anyone who has read anything of mine before has probably gathered that endings are a serious problem for me; I never now how or when to end… Reviews please?**

**- To everyone reading UOTH, thank you! Chapter 11 should be up tomorrow because I'm half way through it and I have a party tonight! Woop, party time! Heheh, luv y'all!**

****Spwarkle****


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